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Effect of linseed supplementation of the gestation and lactation diets of dairy ewes on the growth performance and the intramuscular fatty acid composition of their lambs

Nudda, A. ; Battacone, G. ; Bee, G. ; Boe, R. ; Castanares, N. ; Lovicu, M. ; Pulina, G.

In: animal, 2015, vol. 9, no. 5, p. 800-809

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    Title
    • Effect of linseed supplementation of the gestation and lactation diets of dairy ewes on the growth performance and the intramuscular fatty acid composition of their lambs
    Author
    • Nudda, A.. Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Scienze Zootecniche, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    • Battacone, G.. Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Scienze Zootecniche, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    • Bee, G.. Agroscope Institute for Livestock Sciences (ILS), 1752 Posieux, Switzerland
    • Boe, R.. Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Scienze Zootecniche, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    • Castanares, N.. Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Scienze Zootecniche, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    • Lovicu, M.. Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Scienze Zootecniche, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    • Pulina, G.. Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Scienze Zootecniche, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:300926
    Summary
    In this study, we investigated the effects of maternal gestation and/or lactation diets supplemented with extruded linseed (rich in 18:3n-3) on growth performance and long-chain polyunsaturated faaty acid (PUFA) accumulation in muscle tissues of suckling lambs. A total of 36 dairy ewes were fed a control diet (CON) and a diet containing linseed (LIN) during the last 8 weeks of gestation and/or the first 4 weeks of lactation. The four dietary treatments consisted of the following gestation/lactation feeding treatments: CON/CON, CON/LIN, LIN/LIN or LIN/CON. The lambs born from ewes fed the aforementioned diets were reared exclusively on milk and were slaughtered at 4 weeks of age. Profiles of ewes' milk fatty acids and that of intramuscular fat (IMF) of leg muscles from lambs were determined. Compared with the CON/CON, LIN/CON offspring tended to grow slower and to have reduced cold carcass weights. Moreover, the LIN supplementation only in the prepartum period (LIN/CON) resulted in greater PUFAn-3 accumulation in the IMF compared with the CON/CON offspring due to increased 20:5n-3 (1.20 v. 0.64 mg/100 mg of total FA), 22:5n-3 (1.91 v. 1.46;) and 22:6n-3 (1.25 v. 0.89) contents, respectively. Compared with the CON/CON diet, providing LIN only during lactation (CON/LIN) caused a greater PUFAn-3 content in the IMF mainly due to a greater 18:3n-3 (1.79 v. 0.75 mg/100 g total FA) concentration. Continuous PUFAn-3 exposure, both via the maternal gestation and lactation diet, had no additive effects on PUFAn-3 accumulation in tissues. The results suggest that linseed, as an 18:3n-3 source, seems to be more efficient in increasing long-chain PUFAn-3 in fetal than in suckling lamb tissues